Cindermione
by exeunt
Summary: A retelling of the brothers Grimm's folk tale, "Cinderella", except it's Cindermione and Head Boy Harry. Does it get any better than this? For all you wonderful folks at the SS Pumpkin Pie. Please R/R.


Cindermione: The H/Hr Retelling of Cinderella Cindermione  
by Rapunzel

Summary: A retelling of the Grimm brothers' folk tale _Cinderella_, for the S.S. Pumpkin Pie H/Hr discussion thread.  
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
Author's Note: So, folks, here it is...the Cinderella H/Hr retelling for all you guys aboard the S.S. Pumpkin Pie. Some (okay, fine, most) of the text is borrowed from the brothers Grimm, and they're dead (...right?) so it belongs to everyone. I heard that _Cinderella_ is actually a French tale, and instead of glass slippers they were actually squirrell fur slippers, but...*shrugs* For now I'm going by the brothers Grimm (in which there are no glass slippers at all). Oh, and it's PG for a bit of...amputation. *cough* You'll see. Enjoy, and Happy New Year's! 

Once upon a time the wife of a rich Muggle dentist fell very ill, and as she felt her end drawing nigh she called her only daughter, Hermione, to her bedside, and said, "My dear child, be pious and good, and then the good God will always protect you, and I will look down upon you from heaven and think of you." Soon afterwards she closed her eyes and died. Every day the maiden went to her mother's grave and wept over it, and she continued to be good and pious; during this time, she discovered that she was a magical creature, and convinced her father to buy her a wand. But when the winter came, the snow made a white covering over the grave, and in the spring-time, when the sun had withdrawn this covering, the father took to himself another wife, who was magical and from a long line of famous pure-bloods. 

The wife brought home with her two daughters, who were beautiful and fair in the face, but treacherous, prejudiced, and wicked at heart. Then an unfortunate era began in the poor step-child's life. "Shall the stupid goose sit in the parlour with us?" said the two daughters. "They who would eat bread must earn it; out with the Mudblood!" So they took off her fine robes, snapped her wand, and put upon her an old grey cloak, and gave her wooden shoes for her feet. "See how the once proud princess is decked out now," said they, and they led her mockingly into the kitchen. Then she was obliged to work hard from morning to night, and to go out early to fetch water, to make the fire, and cook and scour, all without magic. The sisters treated her besides with every possible insult, derided her, and shook the peas and beans into the ashes, so that she had to clean and pick them out again. At night, when she was tired, she had no bed to lie on, but was forced to sit in the ashes on the hearth. Because of this, and because her nickname was 'Mione, they teasingly nicknamed her Cindermione. 

One day it happened that the father wanted to go to the fair, so he asked his two daughters what he should bring them. The two step-daughters wished for dress-robes and precious stones and pearls, but Cindermione only desired the first bough that knocked against her father's head. So he bought the fine dress robes, and the pearls and precious stones, for his two step-daughters; and on his return as he rode through a green thicket, a Whomping Willow bough smacked his hat, which he broke off and took with him. As soon as he got home, he gave his step-daughters what they had wished for, and to Cindermione he gave the Whomping Willow-branch. She thanked him very much, and going to her mother's grave she planted the branch on it, and wept so long that her tears fell and watered it, so that it grew. Thrice a-day Cindermione went beneath it to weep; and each time a little white Owl hovered above the tree (for landing upon it was fatal), and if she wished aloud, then the little Owl threw down to her whatever she wished for. She asked for her wand, and often asked for books, from which she educated herself about wizardry, and soon was as skilled and learned as any seventh-year from Hogwarts. 

After a time it fell out that the honourable Professor Dumbledore appointed a public Yule Ball, which was to last three days, and to which all the seventeen-year-old witches in Scotland were invited, from whom his Head Boy was to choose the Head Girl. When the two step-daughters heard that they might also appear, they were very glad, and calling Cindermione, they said, "Comb our hair, brush our shoes, and fasten our buckles, for we are going to the Ball at Hogwarts." Cindermione obeyed, crying, because she wished to go with them to the dance; so she asked her stepmother whether she would allow her. 

"You, Cindermione!" said she; "you are covered with dust and dirt - will you go to the Ball? You have no dress-robes or shoes, and how can you dance?" But, as she urged her request, the mother said at last, "I have now shaken into the ashes a tubful of beans; if you have picked them up again in two hours, you shall go." 

Then the young witch left the room, and went out into the garden, and called, "You tame owls, and ravens, and all you birds of magick, come and help me to gather the good beans into the tub, and the bad ones you may eat." Presently, in came two snowy owls, and after them the ravens, and soon all the birds of magick flew down upon the ashes. They picked and sorted until the task was completed, and then flew away. Then Cindermione took the tub to the stepmother, rejoicing at the thought that she might now go to the Yule Ball; but the stepmother said, "No Cindermione, you have no clothes, and cannot dance; you will only be laughed at." As she began to cry, the stepmother said, If you can pick up quite clean two tubs which I throw amongst the ashes in one hour, you shall accompany them;" and she thought to herself, "She will never manage it." As soon as the two tubs had been shot into the ashes, Cindermione went out to the garden and repeated her request. Presently, the birds came again, and before an-hour passed all was picked up, and away they flew. Cindermione took the tubs to the stepmother, but stepmother said, "It does not help you a bit; you cannot go with us, for you have no robes, and cannot dance; we should be ashamed of you." Thereupon she turned her back upon the maiden, and hastened away with her two proud daughters. 

As there was no one at home, Cinderella went to her mother's grave, under the Whomping Willow, and said, - 

_

"Rustle and shake yourself, dear Willow,  
And silver and gold throw down to me."

_

Then the Owl threw down a dress robe of gold and silver, a bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion (for Cindermione's hair was naturally quite bushy), and silken slippers ornamented with silver. These Cindermione put on in great haste, and then she went to the ball, bringing along with her her father's Firebolt. Her sisters and stepmother did not know her at all, and took her for some foreign witch, as she looked so beautiful in her golden robes and sleek hair; for of Cindermione they thought not but that she sitting at home picking the beans out of the ashes. Presently the Head Boy, a certain Mr Harry Potter, came up to her, and, taking her by the hand, led her to the dance. He would not dance with any one else, and even would not let go her hand; so that when any one else asked her to dance, he said, "She is my partner." They danced till evening, and talked about wizardry and things in general. When she wished to go home; but Harry said, "I will go with you, and see you safe," for he wanted to see to whom the witch belonged. She flew away from him on the Firebolt, however, and sprang into the Owlery; so Harry waited till the father came, whom he told that the strange maiden had run into the Owlery. Then the stepmother thought, "Could it be Cindermione?" And they brought an axe wherewith Harry cut open the door, but no one was found within. And when they came into the house, there lay Cindermione in her dirty cloak among the ashes, and an oil-lamp was burning in the chimney. 

The next day, when the festival was renewed, and her stepmother and her sisters had set out again, Cindermione went to the Whomping Willow and sang as before: - 

_

"Rustle and shake yourself, dear Willow,  
And silver and gold throw down to me." 

_

Then the Owl threw down a much more splendid robe than the former along with another bottle of Sleekeazy's, and when the witch appeared at the ball every one was astonished at her beauty. The Head Boy, however, who had waited till she came, took her hand, and would dance with no one else; and if others came and asked, her replied as before, "She is my partner." As soon as evening came she wished to depart, and he followed her, wanting to see into whose house she went; but she, having forgotten the broom, sprang away from him, and ran into the garden. Harry waited until the father came, and told him, "The strange witch has escaped form me, and I think she has climbed into this tree." The father thought to himself, "Can it be Cindermione?" and taking an axe he chopped down the tree, but there was no one on it. When they went into the kitchen, there lay Cindermione among the ashes, as before, and the Head Boy's heart was touched by her drudgery. 

The third day, when her stepmother and her sisters had set out, Cindermione went again to her mother's grave, and said, - 

_ "Rustle and shake yourself, dear Willow,  
And silver and gold throw down to me." _

Then the Owl threw down to her a robe which was charmed even more splendid and glittering than she had ever had before, a bottle of Sleekeazy's Shiniest and Finest, and the slippers were of pure gold. When she arrived at the ball, they knew not what to say for wonderment, and the Head Boy danced with her alone as at first. As soon as evening came, she left, and as Harry followed her she ran away so quickly that he could not overtake her. But he had contrived a stratagem, and magicked the whole way with the Impediment curse, so that it happened as the maiden ran, she avoided capture (she had read about Impediment curses before) but she stumbled and her left slipper came off. The Head Boy took it up, and saw it was small and graceful, and of pure gold; so the following morning he went with it to Professor Dumbledore, "The Head Girl shall be no other than she whose foot this golden slipper fits." The two sisters were glad of this, for they had beautiful feet, and the elder went with it to her chamber to try it on, while her mother stood by. She could not, however, get her great toe into it, and the shoe was much too small; but the mother, reaching for her wand, magicked her daughter's toe off, but was not skilled enough to sufficiently heal it. The maiden squeezed her foot into the shoe, and, concealing the pain she felt, went down with the Head Boy. Then he placed her as the Head Girl upon his broom, and rode off; and as they passed by the grave there fluttered two little doves above the Whomping Willow, singing, - 

_

"Backwards peep, backwards peep,  
There's blood upon the shoe;  
The shoe's too small, and she behind  
Is not the Head Girl for you." 

_

Then Harry looked behind, and saw the blood flowing; so he turned his broom back, and took the false Head Girl home again, saying, she was not the right one. Then the other sister must needs fit on the shoe, so she went to the chamber and got her toes nicely into the shoe, but the heel was too large. The mother, reaching for her wand, magicked off a piece of her daughter's heal, but again was not able to heal it sufficiently. The young witch squeezed her foot into the shoe, and, concealing the pain she felt, went down to Harry. Then he put her upon his horse as the Head Girl, and rode off; and as they passed the Whomping Willow, the doves were still there, who sang, - 

_

"Backwards peep, backwards peep,  
There's blood upon the shoe;  
The shoe's too small, and she behind  
Is not the Head Girl for you." 

_

Then he looked back, and saw the blood trickling from her shoe, and that the stocking was dyed quite red; so he turned the broom back and returned, saying. "Neither is this one the right witch; have you no other daughter?" "No," replied the father, "except little Hermione, daughter of my deceased wife, who cannot possibly be the bride." The Head Boy asked that she might be fetched, and had his way. Cindermione, first washing her face and hands, went in and curtseyed to Harry, who gave her the golden shoe. Cindermione sat down on a stool, and taking off her heavy wooden shoes, put on te slipper, which fitted her to a shade; and as she stood up, Harry looked in her face, and recognising the beautiful witch with whom he had danced and conversed, exclaimed, "This is the true Head Girl." The stepmother and the two sisters were amazed and white with rage, but the prince took Hermione upon his horse, and rode away; and as they came up to the Whomping Willow the two little white doves sang, - 

_

"Backwards peep, backwards peep,  
There's no blood on the shoe;  
It fits so nice, and she behind  
Is the true Head Girl for you." 

_

And as they finished they flew down and lighted upon Hermione's shoulders, and there they remained; Hermione was allowed to go through the seventh-year at Hogwarts, where her studious behavior and brilliance amazed all the professors, and soon fell in love with the brave and valiant Harry. After Hogwarts, their wedding was celebrated with great festivities, and the two sisters were thrown into Azkaban as a punishment for their wickedness. 

_ The End. _


End file.
